Handwriting-developer.



Patented sept. ls, |902.

' c. nucKwE-u. A RITIING DEVELU ximian med mi 24'.- 1'9 PEB. o2.)

noenioz @Hoe/neg UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

FREDERICK C. ROCKWELL, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

HANDWRITING-DEVELQPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,114, dated' September 16, 1902.

Application filed January 24e, 1902. 'Serial No. 91,048. (No model.)

`.To all wiz/0m, t Ina/y oon/cern,.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK C. ROCK- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handwriting-Developers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device which is designed to be placed upon the wrist or forearm of a person for the purpose of facilitating the movements of the muscles used when writing.

It is important that children when learning to write acquire a free movement of the arm and a correct position of the hand and fingers in order to insure a rapid and legible formation of letters.

The object of this invention `is to provide a simple and cheap device which can be easily applied to the Wrist or forearm of a person that will so support the member to which it is applied that the hand will keep in the approved position and Will move freely for the formation of letters and Words.

The embodiment of the invention that is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings has a pad formed of cork, composition, or other suitable material that is light, cheap, and Will not soil the Wearers clothing or the paper to be Written upon, which pad is provided With one or more balls or similar universal bearings and with a strap or band that is adapted to pass around the member to be supported and hold the device in position.

Figure l of the drawings is a side view of one of the devices. Fig. 2 is a view looking toward the bottom of one of the devices. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of one of the pads.

The pad l may be formed of cork, cork oomposition, or other suitable material. The top of this pad is hollowed so as to fit the Wrist or the arm of a person. In the bottom of the pad are one or more sockets containing shells 2, which hold freely moving balls 3.

tached to the pad, preferably at the ends, is a band or strap 4, which may be formed of leather, elastic webbing, or other suitable light flexible material. This band may be provided with a buckle 5 for adjusting its length. If the band is made of elastic Webbing, the buckle is unnecessary.

This device may be slipped, With the balls underneath, upon the Wrist or farther up on the arm of a person that is about to do considerable Writing or a child that is being taught to Write. When in this position, the balls rest upon the surface the paper is lying on, and the pad tends to hold the hand flat- Wise, the approved position with relation to the paper, rather than edgewise, as is the natural position. The balls so support the mem ber to which the device is applied that the entire attention of the child may be directed to the formation of the letters and the development of a proper freedom of movement to promote rapid and legible penmanship. The freely-moving balls which form the support when this device is in position relieve the musclesto such an extent that Writers cramp is cured and prevented.

I claim as my inventionl. A handwriting-developer which consists of a pad with a ball-bearing, and means for attaching the pad to the member of a person,

substantially as specified. 

